Integrated health system would provide the best care

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Bob Carr is talking a lot of sense with his offer for the
Federal Government to take over the state public hospital system
("Carr offers to trade powers with Canberra", Herald,
October 20). The current division of health care responsibility is
wasteful and inefficient. Australia needs to fully integrate the
services of general practitioners, specialists, public and private
hospitals and community care to provide the most effective and
efficient health care for all Australians.

Dr Ian Arthur, Sawtell, October 20.

Working every day in an environment of constant cost-shifting
and inefficiencies produced by lack of cohesiveness between state
and federal departments of health, I fully support Mr Carr's call
to unify the health system. However, apart from people like Mr
Greiner and Mr Goss, I hope those at the coalface will be asked to
contribute to the debate.

Bob Carr, why stop with the public hospitals? What about
releasing your state responsibility for the trains, schools, buses,
water, road systems and power infrastructure. Come on, Mr Carr, do
us a favour and give it all to the Federal Government.

John Lazoglou, Stanmore, October 20.

At last someone's talking sense on the chronic public hospitals
"crisis".

I recall Peter Smark pointing out nearly 20 years ago that the
public hospital system problems could never be resolved while the
system was funded by the Federal Government but run by the
states.

Is this an idea that has finally found its time?

Margaret Harris, Turramurra, October 20.

As one who is in the middle of the public health system, I
sincerely hope that this latest overture from Bob Carr to the
Federal Government to reform the distribution of responsibilities
in health care gets off the ground.

The health system is like a much beloved Leyland P76 (they were
designed about the same time) - there will always be those who want
to keep it unchanged. But what it really causes for most consumers
is duplication of services, inequality in timely access to health
care, increased expense for all and cost-shifting.

There is no way that the current mess will ever be miraculously
able to cope with the increasing demand over the next 20 years. If
nothing is done, the current inequalities in care will become more
entrenched, as society becomes divided between a decreasing number
of health "haves" and the larger number of "have-nots".

Both governments have enough time in power to make it
happen.

It is now or never. I predict never.

Andrew McDonald, Menangle, October 20.

Bob Carr's offer to hand over responsibility for health services
to the Commonwealth must surely rank as the ultimate admission of
failure by a politician.

But why stop with health?

Given his government's abysmal record in delivering efficient
and cost-effective service outcomes in areas such as transport,
roads, water, power, taxation and urban planning and renewal, we'd
all be better off if he handed the whole lot over to Canberra,
turned the lights out and moved to New Zealand permanently.

John Richardson, St Ives, October 20.

I can't imagine the Federal Government wanting to take control
of the hospitals in the states. Who, then, could the Commonwealth
blame if the system didn't improve? End the "blame game"? Hardly
likely.

Ron Kerr, Page (ACT), October 20.

Bob Carr's offer to trade powers with Canberra is a step in the
right direction, but why stop there. A merger of the NSW and
Commonwealth parliaments would be real progress.

P. Tomlins, Hornsby, October 20.

The tide of new people draining water reserves

Sydney doesn't have a water shortage, it has a people excess -
as do many other cities and towns in Australia whose dams were
plenty big enough 20 years ago.

While state governments struggle to provide more water, the
Federal Government has the immigration tap on full, which will make
any water savings evaporate in a sea of new people.

Greig Baas, Tamworth, October 20.

Bearing in mind that councils have refused to allow residents to
install water tanks in recent times and were, not too long ago,
prepared to fine residents who did not remove "unsightly" tanks,
would it be an appropriate time to suggest that those same councils
pay for the reinstallation?

Or are the tanks still too unsightly?

Peter Shalless, Minto Heights, October 20.

Forgive and move on

Linda Morris's article ("Sorry, says Jensen, but Anglicans are
at war", Herald, October 20) reporting Phillip Jensen's
latest outpourings also quoted comments by Bishop Robert Forsyth of
South Sydney.

The bishop made it plain that the expression of regret already
given by the American church for ordaining gay bishops was not
enough - the Americans must make an unequivocal apology. I am
struck by the singular lack of charity. Is it perhaps that the
Sydney leaders have spent so much time immersing themselves in the
Old Testament and St Paul's letters that they have forgotten Jesus?
He seemed to lay great store by forgiveness.

In any event, it occurs to me that if apologies are what is
needed, then perhaps both sides need to apologise - the liberals
for getting too far ahead of the game and the conservatives for
adopting such a hardline stance that no movement towards agreement
has been remotely possible.

Forsyth, the Jensen brothers and their ilk seem to have got into
a state of panic. If everybody could just climb down off their
theological high horses for a moment, we may manage to reflect
together upon Jesus's caution against pointing out the speck in
someone else's eye and missing the log in our own eye.

Moving on, we may discover together the power of forgiveness to
transform the most intractable of situations by allowing God to get
back into the discussion.

Eric Wright, Hughes (ACT), October 20.

The way the Anglican Church fears homosexuals gives cause to
wonder if gay people were created in amphetamine factories by
al-Qaeda terrorists using stolen children as the base product.

The reality is, however, that every single homosexual person is
the offspring of a union between man and woman.

Paul Beetson, Marrickville, October 20.

The question is, Ruth Catlin (Letters, October 20), when the
church leaders are spreading the message of God's unconditional
love, does that include God's judgement?

Mary Julian, Woollahra, October 20.

Perils of pollution

A lot of attention has been given to the environmental hazards
of asbestos and the responsibilities of employers in the event of
adverse outcomes for those exposed to it. There seems some form of
guarantee that those affected at work are covered in some way, but
that has required public outcry for James Hardie to listen to the
plight of sufferers.

I am not sure of what happens to those exposed outside the
working environment. I raise the question because of very heavy
asbestos exposure as a child when asbestos waste was dumped by
Hardie at Harris Park over a period of five or more years in the
1950s and '60s. I grew up in a heavily asbestos-polluted
environment and have extensive pleural disease and await
development of mesothelioma.

It seems that with malignant transformation, I will have little
recourse to the established avenues of compensation, not that any
form of compensation will change my life expectancy.

Peter Pigott, Potts Point, October 20.

Park and ride

Ricki Coughlan (Letters, October 20), NSW national parks are for
recreation as well as conservation. Bushwalking, paddling,
swimming, etc, are all permitted, if not encouraged, as is cycling
in limited areas. There is little scope for larger events due to
their environmental and social impacts.

Plantation pine forests provide an opportunity for these events
because they are relatively free from environmental concerns, while
still presenting as bush-like to visitors. Native state forests
have more environmental concerns, but are still far from wilderness
reserves.

Limiting access to these forests will greatly diminish the area
open to recreation, which will put further stresses on our
transport and health infrastructure.

Dave Hughes, Turramurra, October 20.

Split decision

I wish to clarify some misconceptions that could come from your
article ("Locals not amused as secret Luna Park subdivision raises
fresh tower fears", Herald, October 20).

First, the subdivision is a straightforward reflection of the
requirements of the four different leases applicable to the Luna
Park site. It is an administrative matter that does not change the
allowable land uses in any way.

Second, approval of the subdivision does not imply approval or
endorsement of any future clifftop development.

Third, I was surprised by comments about lack of notification
attributed to the North Sydney mayor, given that Sydney Harbour
Foreshore Authority sought and received comment on the proposed
subdivision from North Sydney Council, as required under state
planning laws. As a result, the authority imposed restrictions on
car park use as recommended by council. It should also be noted
that it is the nature of subdivisions such as this, that they are
not required to be publicly exhibited. The normal planning
assessment process and approvals were fully complied with.

Your readers can be assured that Luna Park can't be removed from
public ownership, as it is a protected state significant site.

Wise words from a well-rounded man

To those punsters playing with the word "sir", you are not the
first (Letters, October 19, 20). Goon Harry Secombe, a man with a
full figure, was awarded a knighthood in 1981. He said that from
that date he would be known as Sir Cumfrence.

Paul Hunt, Engadine, October 20.

My father, known as Kit, was a man of average height, who always
wanted to be knighted so he could be announced as short Sir
Kit.

Pip Denton, Guildford, October 20.

Don't mention it

These days, Peter Margan (Letters, October 20), celebrities
won't shut up about their "unmentionables".

Brad Johnston, Darlinghurst, October 20.

A cheat's guide

Ross Cameron did not cheat on his wife as frequently stated: he
was unfaithful to her.

Cheating on your wife is when, say, playing cards, with a
certain amount of low cunning you are able to inveigle her to sit
with her back to a large mirror.

Herb Bolles, Kurrajong Heights, October 19.

The greatest test

To add fuel to the Warne/Muralitharan supremacy debate, it must
be remembered that by playing for Australia, Warne has never bowled
against the best international batting team.

Brian Jeffrey, Gunnedah, October 20.

Can't we just acknowledge the fact that Shane Warne has taken
more Test wickets than anyone else, and leave it at that -
please?

Nick Walker, Springwood, October 20.

Miracle worker

"Vote Kerry and be damned: Catholic bishops decry one of their
own" (Herald, October 20). Has Tony Abbott got pull or
what?

David Ash, Bondi Beach, October 20.

Train of thought

I have this nightmare. I'm standing on Wynyard Station waiting
for a train.

Brian Johnstone, Leura, October 20.

The railways have certainly done their bit to conserve water by
running so many carriages that leak through the roof but not
through the floor.

Peter Scott, Cheltenham, October 20.

The latest thing

Yes, Perry Gretton (Letters, October 20), I too enjoy perusing
Reader's Digest while waiting to see my GP. In fact, I can't
wait to get crook again so I can finish the article on that
new-fangled contraption, the wireless.

Paul Stevens, Chatswood, October 20.

Labor's bench-clearing row shows the voters got it right

The unedifying spectacle of public blood-letting in federal
Labor suggests that despite Mark Latham's best campaign efforts and
an incumbent government many thought should lose on political
morality grounds alone, the pre-election unity of Labor was merely
a veneer, leadership challenges are in the offing and it did not
deserve government ("Another one bites the dust on Latham's
incredible shrinking front bench", Herald, October 20).

Ron Sinclair, Bathurst, October 20.

Mark Latham assured us hundreds of times before the election
that he would ease the squeeze. Now it's clear that he was
referring to his front bench.

Jim Dewar, North Gosford, October 20.

Frontbenchers overboard!

Greg Thomas, Annandale, October 19.

In the 1950s we had the DLP. Now we have the DDLP: Depleted and
Demoralised Labor Party.

Richard Shankland, Warrawee, October 20.

What's happening, Mark Latham? All the "roosters" are offering
to become feather dusters.

Philip Wallis, Lindfield, October 20.

The rush to the back benches has added another extension to Mark
Latham's ladder of opportunity.

Maurie Prior, Paterson, October 20.

Who on earth would vote for Labor? The faction system is
disgraceful. Lindsay Tanner should be right up in the inner circle,
not walking out in frustration. I'm starting to hope things get a
lot worse for Labor so that important reforms are finally made.

Gavin Sinclair, Wollstonecraft, October 20.

Will the ALP please do us all a favour and find a new leader.
Three years from now, Mark Latham will still be vulnerable to
attacks on his record as Liverpool's mayor and as a taxi-driver
basher.

John Savage, Normanhurst, October 20.

Having neither seen nor heard from Mark in recent times, I
assume he has joined the strength and moved to the back bench.

Bill Carpenter, Bowral, October 20.

I am convinced that those from the ideologically sound, elitist
left, who constantly patronise and berate the public by informing
us that "We get the government we deserve", are correct.

I'm not so sure that we are getting the Opposition we deserve.
Or are we?

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